The Tooth Fairy visited our house tonight, and he will also be visiting theaters very soon. Dwayne Johnson starts the new year off with his latest tough guy role -- The Tooth Fairy. Yep, you read that right. In The Tooth Fairy, Dwayne plays a mean hockey player who is nicknamed "The Tooth Fairy" because apparently he routinely knocks out the other guy's teeth in hockey fights. Well, his mean ways become too much and he is sentenced to become the Tooth Fairy for real. Once again, Dwayne dons a pretty little outfit (reminiscent of his ballet costume in The Game Plan) and learns how to be nicer. This movie may not break any box office records, but Dwayne seems to be a real hit with kids, and I think some of the moms might like watching him too.

(Photo © 20th Century Fox)

Own a Disney DVD that you wish you had on Blu-ray instead? Don't pay full price for the new copy. Disney's upgrade programoffers an $8 coupon for the Blu-ray. Just select your title, mail in the form and proof of purchase for the DVD, and get the $8 off coupon via email.The Disney program doesn't give you the Blu-ray as cheap as Warner Bros.' upgrades, but the difference is, Disney lets you keep your DVD copy. The movie industry has been really consumer friendly lately with the upgrade programs and including DVDs in the Blu-ray combo packs. I don't know if it's the down economy or just the intense desire to convert consumers to HD that is motivating the incentives, but I like them!

Earlier this year, we talked a lot about the new popularity of 3D movies in theaters and the disappointing experience of 3D viewing at home. Now, it seems that specifications have been finalized for Blu-ray 3D. What does that mean to us? Well, hopefully 3D at home will look a lot better. The catch is, you have to have the right setup. The new format will work on varying types of HD TVs, but may not work on the one you currently own. According to the press release, we should start seeing 3D compatible Blu-ray players in stores in 2010. If you own a PS3, though, you're good to go. PS3 players will be able to playback 3D discs in 3D. More information on the new technology and the required components need will be forthcoming.

In general, the 3D format has infiltrated theaters at lightening speed. The number of films offered in 3D in 2009 was astonishing, and there are many more to come in 2010. What do you think of seeing movies in 3D? Is it better? Will we get sick of it? A major theme in reviews of The Princess and the Frog, now playing in theaters, is that it is a return to the simple and beautiful animation of old, without all of the computer animation and 3D technology. 3D is new and fun, but does add enough to our viewing experience to last?

If you missed the newest edition to kids' animated holiday classics, don't worry, a lot of people did. The premiere of Disney's Prep & Landing was a mess in our area. The date was changed, I think twice, and the local ABC channel didn't run the show last week. The special is available on the Disney website, and it will air again tomorrow night (check local ABC listings). But, is it worth watching?

Created by Disney and premiering on ABC, Prep & Landing definitely has the holiday hype going for it. In some ways, the hype is deserved. The movie is fun, somewhat clever, and well-animated. When we watched it, though, our reaction was, "What? That's it? Really?" We were having so much fun getting into the story, and then suddenly, it was over. Not a huge storyline there, since it's only 30 minutes long -- about the length of a kids' animated TV show. Oh well, at least we have a new favorite phrase for the holiday, "Oh, frostbite!" I'm sure we'll be well into spring by the time the kids stop saying that one.

(Photo © Disney)

More kids' animated holiday specials new to DVD this year:

• Gotta Catch Santa Claus: A great new special for kids ages 6+ or so, Gotta Catch Santa Claus follows a group of school kids -- fairly smart school kids too -- who come up with a plan to catch Santa in hopes of proving, or disproving for some, his existence. Their plan runs into a little problem, though, when they discover that they aren't the only ones trying to nab the guy in the big red suit this year.



• A Miser Brothers' Christmas: This special looks and feels like one of the old-time Christmas shows, and the Miser Brothers were in an old Rankin-Bass classic The Year Without Santa Claus, but their own holiday show only premiered last year. In their new show, the brothers' bickering gets out of control, but when Santa is in trouble, they might be able to help if they can just pull together.

New on DVD/Blu-ray Today:

• G-Force
• Wizards of Waverly Place the Movie